Category Archives: Consumer affairs

Do we sacrifice consistency and clarity for the sake of convention?

Posted on 2017-07-20 by ronniec

We are familiar with size numbers for shoes, hats, dresses and so on. Ronnie Cohen looks at the convention for screen sizes based on inches and asks if this really makes sense. Likes(7)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Media | Tagged Apple, article, centimetres, inches, laptop, Microsoft, screen, size, size number | 4 Comments

Does metric-only labelling require changes to package sizes?

Posted on 2017-07-16 by ronniec

An argument made against metric-only labelling in the US is that manufacturers would need to change packaging to rational metric sizes. Ronnie Cohen looks at the UK’s experience over the past 50 years. Likes(8)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, Myths | Tagged conversion, hard, labelling, labels, metric, metric-only, metrication, myths, package, products, rational, sizes, soft, supplementary indications, US | 4 Comments

Straight bananas and the metric system – the EU legacy?

Posted on 2017-07-06 by ronniec

With Brexit still dominating the news, Ronnie Cohen looks at one of the biggest obstacles to completing our transition to the metric system: its perceived link to the European Union. Likes(9)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History, Law, Media, Myths | Tagged 1862, 1895, 1965, 1992, anti-EU, anti-metric, Britain, common market, decimalisation, EEC, EU, European Coal and Steel Community, European Union, europhobe, eurosceptic, euroscepticism, imperial, metric system, metrication, Metrication Programme, Select Committee, Single Market, standardisation, standards, transition, UK, weights and measures | 14 Comments

Pint-sized beer and cider in British shops

Posted on 2017-06-01 by ronniec

Ronnie Cohen takes a look at the beer and cider on sale in his local shops and supermarket. Likes(4)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Consumer affairs, Law | Tagged alcohol, beer, bottles, cans, champagne, cider, deregulation, packages, pints, quantities, regulation, shops, sizes, spirits, wine | 11 Comments

The American Influence on Canada’s Metrication

Posted on 2017-05-18 by Ramsden

John Frewen-Lord, a frequent contributor to Metric Views, has just returned from one of his regular trips to Canada. He gives us his thoughts. Likes(7)Dislikes(1)

Posted in Consumer affairs, History, Views from abroad | Tagged Canada, metric, metrication, UK USA metric USC imperial, USA, USC | 4 Comments

A Dickensian surprise

Posted on 2017-05-11 by Ramsden

Charles Dickens is enduringly popular for his memorable characters and his portrayal of the social evils of Victorian England. One of our regular readers, Martin Vlietstra, draws attention to an unexpected contribution he made to Britain’s long-running metrication debate. Likes(10)Dislikes(3)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History | Tagged All the Year Round, Charles Dickens, decimal, Education, metrication, numeracy | 1 Comment

Odd and inconsistent product descriptions

Posted on 2017-04-10 by ronniec

We highlight an oddity in Waitrose product description and pricing, recently picked up in an article on msn. And no, this is not a belated April fool story. Likes(6)Dislikes(16)

Posted in Consumer affairs | Tagged capacity, empty, full, jam, jars, mass, volume, Waitrose | 11 Comments

Costs of supporting dual measures

Posted on 2017-03-23 by ronniec

Ronnie Cohen provides us with an example from his work of the additional costs that businesses face as a result of having to provide for dual measures. Imagine how much better off we might be if all such costs in the UK economy … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Technical | Tagged business, Code, conversions, design, development, documentation, documents, features, industry, software, support, test, testing | 7 Comments

Pricing, profits and customer confusion

Posted on 2017-03-02 by ronniec

Inevitably, the referendum result has led to calls for a return to some of the measurements that Britannia used when she ruled the waves. Ronnie Cohen suggests an underlying reason. Likes(16)Dislikes(4)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Law, Views from abroad | Tagged comparison, consumers, deregulation, freedom of choice, global Britain, heritage, non-metric, regulation, trade, traders, tradition, units | 4 Comments

No flight information please – we’re British

Posted on 2017-02-23 by ronniec

Ronnie Cohen wonders why at least one budget airline flying from the UK targets its flight information at continental and American passengers. Likes(14)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Technical, Transport, Views from abroad | Tagged altitude, American units of measurement, British, conversion, distance, flight, information, plane, screen, speed, temperature, translation, trip, units | 20 Comments